Watch: Astral Skulls – Out of the Suburbs

Astral Skulls is the solo name for Kurt Eckardt, formerly of Sydney punk groups Say Cheese and Die! and Mysteries. Now based in Brisbane, he’s making music on his own using just a synth and guitar. The clip above was filmed in his new hometown and nicely captures the workaday ennui associated with squat three-bedroom homes, wide asphalt streets and a worrying lack of shade.

I didn’t really know what to expect from ‘Out of the Suburbs’, but it’s not the kind of raw and undeveloped scree you’d expect from a punk musician moving into more electronic territory. Eckardt’s delivery is reminiscent of Peter Escott from The Native Cats: it’s a bit droll but not at all offhand or uncaring, and the song feels more like a reflection on the suburbs rather than a nostalgic tribute and/or denunciation. It’s a pretty strange song but it works. There’s more to hear on the Astral Skulls website.